Trimming machine



June 29, 1937. c. F. FITZGERALD TRIMMING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1955Patented June 29, 1937 meant PATENT OFFEE Application June 5, 1935,Serial No. 25,104

13 Claims.

insoles, as distinguished from the projecting relation of the surplusmaterials in welted and turn shoes.

With regard to those types in which the surplus materials to be severedlie normally in confronting relation to the insole, good shoe-makingrequires that they be severed on a line virtually parallel with the edgeof the insole and at a distance about or inch in from the edge. Thistrimming operation has heretofore been done s6 quite generally withmachines of the type shown in United States Letters Patent No. 429,065,granted May 27, 1890, on application of Schaadt and Clark, but not,however, without some difficulty attributable to the confrontingrelation of the insoles and the surplus materials to be severed, andanother difficulty in those shoes that have been lasted with curved wirestaples driven in the manner disclosed in United States Letters PatentNo. 1,815,298, granted July 21, 1931 on application of George Goddu.

Although the patent last mentioned shows the points of the staplesembedded in an insole, many stapling operators in shoe factories preferand use longer staples the points of which, more often than not, projectfrom the outer face of the insole, in many instances as much as T ginch. Under such conditions some of the projecting points become caughton the stationary cutting blade of .a trimming machine of the type abovementioned, thereby arresting the feeding movement of the shoe andrequiring repeated effort on the part of the operator to proceed withthe trimming. Moreover, if the points of the staples encounter thecutting edges of the trimming blades those edges become quickly dulledin consequence thereof.

To overcome the adverse conditions above pointed out the presentinvention provides an improved trimming machine comprising a deflectorarranged to engage the lining of an inturned margin of surplus uppermaterials lying on or confronting the insole of a lasted shoe,powerdriven mechanism arranged to reciprocate the deflector with shortrapid strokes to bend a free por- 55 tion of the margin away from theinsole a little at a time, and power-driven cutting means arranged tosever the free portion that has been fed past the deflector with a cutin a plane virtually parallel with the face of an insole.

Preferably, and as herein shown, the deflector is shaped and arranged toengage also the face of the insole and thereby control the closeness ofthe trimming cut, to the end that projecting points of staples shall notinterrupt the feeding of the work or dull the cutting means.Accordingly, the deflector is provided with a thin workguiding blade oneedge of which is arranged to run onthe insole in the crease formed bythe junction therewith of the overdrawn upper materials. To avoidinterference with the feeding of a shoe in which the points of lastingstaples project as above explained, the thickness of the work-guidingblade is limited to a dimension less than the distance between thecrease and the line of the staple-points. Consequently, when the creaseis maintained against the guiding blade the latter will clear the pointsof the staples and cause the latter to clear the trimming cutters.Moreover, the guiding blade preferably embodies a helicoidal twist thatimparts gradually increasing ab-ruptness to its surface that deflectsthe free margin of surplus materials across the plane of the trimmingcut.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a trimming machine embodying the presentinvention in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the work-engaging elements thereof;

Fig. 3 includes two sectional plan views of the same parts in differentpositions;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation including a portion of a lasted shoe inprocess of being trimmed; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view including the fore part of a lasted shoeand portions of a stationary cutting blade and the power-operateddeflector or work-guiding blade.

Before describing the novel subject-matter of the present invention,this description will deal with the known features embodied in a machineof the type illustrated not only in the accompanying drawing but also inthe aforesaid Letters Patent No. 429,065. The machine comprises a frameit], a stationary cutting blade H, a reciprocatory cutting blade l2, ahorizontally movable plunger I3 by which the blade I2 is carried, apower-driven shaft l4 journaled in the frame, an eccentric 15 carried bythe shaft, an eccentric strap 16 for communicating motion from thecocentric to the piunger 93, a pivot-pin H by which the eccentric strapand the plunger are operatively connected, and a pulley i8 secured tothe shaft for receiving rotation from a belt (not shown).

Referring to Fig. 3, the stationary blade II is provided with an obliquecutting edge 20 and the blade i2 is provided with an oblique cuttingedge 2! these edges being arranged to cross each other in shearingrelation and to form a V-shaped throat into which the materials to besevered are fed manually. A portion of the blade i l extends upwardly incontact with the front face of an overhanging portion of the frame it,and is provided with a slot 22 (Fig. 2) to receive clamping bolts 23 andto provide for vertical adjustment to locate the cutting edge 26 inshearing relation to the cutting edge of the blade l2. All the elementsabove described are of well-known construction.

A typical lasted shoe of the Littleway type is illustrated in Figs. 4and 5. The assemblage comprises a last 25, an insole 25, the usual uppermaterials consisting of a plurality of layers including the outer layer2i of leather or other material, an inner layer 28 or lining of wovenfabric or other material and, if desired, an inter mediate layer ordoubler not represented individually.

In accordance with the disclosure in the aforesaid Letters Patent No.1,815,298 the overdrawn margin of upper materials 27 and 28 is securedto the insole 25 by wire lasting staples 29, the legs of which arecurved and the points of which underlie the free portion of theoverdrawn margin inside the line of junction on which the uppermaterials and the insole are connected by the heads or cross-bars of thestaples. Although it is not always intentional to cut the staples solong as to cause their points to project from the face of the insole,many, if not all, stapling machine operators do, in fact, adjust thestapling mechanism to cause such projection as represented in Fig. 4.The extent of such projection in many cases is as much as inch. In con-.

sequence thereof the points of the staples have heretofore, undercertain conditions of manipulation of shoes in process of being trimmedwith machines of the type under consideration, become caught on thestationary blade H, thereby in many cases arresting the feeding movementof the work and dulling the cutting edge of that blade.

Moreover, whether or not the points of the staples project, the freeportion of surplus materials that requires to be severed after such ashoe has been lasted lies normally in confronting relation to the insoleand actually in contact therewith at many points. Consequently, to severthis free portion of the margin with a cut in a plane virtually parallelwith the face of the insole requires bending the surplus materials awayfrom the insole to an upstanding position. In machines of the type underconsideration, it has heretofore been necessary to accomplish suchbending solely by hooking the cutting portion of the blade 5 under thesurplus materials and supporting the shoe manually with upward forceagainst one or both of the cutting blades. Under favorable conditions,the blade H does bend or raise the surplus materials to an inclinedposition but not to an erect position. In many instances, on the otherhand, a wrinkle or other irregularity in the free margin of surplusmaterials will escape the control of the blade i l and run under itsoutting portion instead of over it, thereby interrupting the progress ofthe trimming.

To overcome the difficulties above mentioned and to facilitate the workof severing the surplus materials as pictured in Figs. and 5, thepresent invention provides the novel means now about to be described. Adeflector 36 provided with a helicoidal work-engaging blade 3i issuspended from a horizontal supporting pivot 32 about which it mayoscillate. The pivot 32 is secured in a bracket 33 afiixed to the frameIt by screws 34. As shown in Fig. 3, the heel of the blade 3! occupiesthe V-shaped throatformed by the cutting edges 20 and 2i, while the toeof the blade projects beyond the throat. The lower edge of the blade EEis arranged to run in the crease formed by the junction of the insoleand the margin of upper materials, and at the same time to clear theprojecting points of the staples 29, since it extends in a directionparallel to the direction of feeding motion by which the surplusmaterials about to be severed are fed into the V- shaped throat.Moreover, the lower edge of this blade is at a level slightly below thebottom of the cutting blade l2, to counteract the projection of thestaple-points and the thickness of the upper materials lying on themargin of the insole outside the line of the staples.

The heel of the blade Si is vertical but the toe is inclined tofacilitate its entrance between the insole and the free portion of themargin of upper materials that has been bent only partiallyaway from theinsole, but as the surplus materials progress from the toe toward theheel of the blade they are gradually deflected to a vertical position bythe helicoidal deflecting surface of the blade and are finally braced bythe heel against the thrust of the movable cutter at a point in front ofthe latter.

The invention also provides for utilizing the reciprocatory motion ofthe plunger 53 to oscillate the deflector SEE about the axisof itssupporting pivot 32, and in consequence thereof to bend and deflect thesurplus materials a little at a time. The motion thus imparted to thedeflector is of small magnitude but rapid, the rate of reciprocationbeing about 1800 cycles per minute, that is, one stroke for every strokeof the cutting blade 52. This rapid oscillation of the deflectorfacilitates the feeding of the work and to that extent relieves theoperator from manual effort other than that required to support the shoeand manipulate it in accordance with the requirements of trimming.Moreover, although the heel of the deflector stands in front of themovable cutting blade where it provides an abutment to brace the uncutwork against the cutting movement of that blade, the oscillation of thedeflector maintains the abutment portion thereof close to the cuttingpoint, notwithstanding movement of the cutting point lengthwise of thecutting edges.

Motion for operating the deflector is communicated thereto by anantifriction roll it mounted on a stud ii. The stud is carried by asaddle 46 that also serves to clamp the cutting blade l2 to the plungeris. The roll ii? is arranged to run to and fro on a finger i2 formed onthe deflector. The cooperating surface of the finger ii is oblique withrespect to the path of travel of the roll 48 (see Fig. 3) and its effectis to move the deflecting blade 3! toe foremost. Movement of thedefleeting blade in the opposite direction is derived from a tensionspring 43 (Fig. 2) the upper end of which is attached to an anchoringpin 44 and the direction of its cutting movement the de-- fiecting blade3| is moved toe foremost, thatis,

in a direction counter to the direction of feed. Consequently the blade3! not only ,moves in ac.- cordance with the shifting of the cuttingpoint lengthwise of the cutting edges, but it also erects a little moreof the oncoming surplus materials about to be severed as shown in Fig. 5in which the movable cutting blade 12 is omitted to avoid obscuring themanner in which the uncut mate rials are turned up and braced asaforesaid.

While the magnitudes of the strokes of the cut- I ting blade I2 and ofthe deflecting blade 3! are not necessarily restricted to any dimensionsit has been found that of an inch is a sufficient length of travel forthe cutting blade and that /8 of an inch or less is sufficient for thedeflecting blade not only to turn up the surplus materials but also toavoid interference with the cutting edge 2!.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters 1 Patent of the United States is:

l. A trimming machine comprising a deflector arranged to engage thelining of an inturned margin of surplus upper materials lying on orconfronting the insole of a lasted shoe, powerdriven mechanism arrangedto reciprocate said deflector with short rapid strokes to bend a freeportion of said margin away from the insole a little at a time, andpower-driven cutting means arranged to sever the free portion of saidmargin that has been fed beyond said deflector with a cut in a planevirtually parallel with the face of the insole.

2. A trimming machine comprising powerdriven cutting means arranged tosever surplus upper material on the bottom of a lasted shoe With a cutin a plane virtually parallel with the face of the sole thereof, amember arranged to engage the face of the sole to control the closenessof the severing cut, said member being ahead of said cutting means andalso arranged to bend a free margin of the surplus upper material awayfrom the sole, and power-driven mechanism arranged to reciprocate saidmember with short rapid strokes toward and from said cutting means.

3. A trimming machine comprising powerdriven cutting means arranged tosever surplus upper material on the bottom of a lasted shoe with a cutin a plane virtually parallel with the face of the sole thereof, amember arranged to engage the face of the sole to control the closenessof the severing out, said member being ahead of said cutting means andhaving a surface of gradually increasing abruptness arranged to deflectand bend a free margin of the surplus upper material away from the sole,and power-driven mechanism arranged to reciprocate said member "in linesvirtually parallel with the direction of movement necessary to feed thesurplus material to said cutting means.

'4. A trimming machine comprising two cooperative shearing cuttershaving converging cutting edges forming a throat to receive a margin ofsurplus upper materials projecting from a seam by which it is connectedto the sole of a partially fabricated shoe, power-driven means by whichone of said shearing cutters is reciprocated to sever such a margin fedinto said throat, a movable abutment member arranged to brace thesurplus materials against the cutting thrust of said reciprocatedcutter, and means by which said'abutment member is moved to and fro insynchronism with the movements of said reciprocated cutter and in linesvirtually parallel with the-path of feeding movement of the materialsbeing severed.

5. A trimming machine comprising two cooperative shearing cutters havingconverging cutting edges forming a throat to receive a margin of surplusupper materials projecting from the sole of a lasted shoe, power-drivenmeans by which one of said shearing cutters is operated to sever such amargin fed into said throat, a work-guiding member arranged to occupythe entrance of said throat to direct the margin into the throat, andmechanism by which said' work-guiding member is reciprocated lengthwiseof the margin in contact therewith.

6. A trimming machine comprising a fixed cutter and a reciprocatorycutter having converging cutting edges in shearing relation and forminga throat to receive a margin of surplus upper materials projecting fromthe sole of a lasted shoe, a power-driven reciprocatory member by whichsaid reciprocatory cutter is operated to sever such a margin fed intosaid throat, an abutment member arranged to brace said margin againstthe thrust of said reciprocatory cutter, and means including a camelement and a cooperative part carried by said members to reciprocatesaid abutment member in synchronism with the movement of saidreciprocatory cutter.

7. A trimming machine comprising two cutters having cutting edges incooperative shearing relation to sever a margin of surplus uppermaterials projecting from the sole of a lasted shoe, a power-drivenmember by which one of said cutters is carried back and forth across thecutting edge of the other said cutter, a workguiding member arrangedahead of said cutters in the line of feeding movement to direct theuncut margin of surplus upper materials between said cutting edges, andmeans operated by said power-driven member to reciprocate saidworkguiding member in a path virtually parallel with the length of themargin in contact therewith.

8. A trimming machine comprising two cutters having cutting edges incooperative shearing relation, a power-driven member by which one ofsaid cutters is reciprocated across the cutting edge of the other saidcutter, a work-guiding member movable relatively to said reciprocatorycutter, and means arranged to reciprocate said work-guiding member intimed relation to the cutting movements of said reciprocatory cutter,said Work-guiding member being arranged ahead of said cutters in theline of feeding movement to direct the uncut substance to be trimmedinto the field of operation of said cutters.

9. A trimming machine comprising a workguiding member formed andarranged to project into a crease between two confronting and connectedwork elements and thereby bend a free margin of one of said elementsaway from the other one of said elements, power-driven means by whichsaid work-guiding member is reciprocated in a path virtually parallelwith the crease in which it operates, and power-driven cutting meansarranged to sever the bent margin with a cut in a plane virtuallyparallel with the confronting elements forming saidcrease.

10. A trimming machine comprising poweroperated cutting means arranged.to sever a free margin of surplus upper materials projecting from thesole of a lasted shoe, and a work-guiding member arranged to engage thework just ahead of said cutting means, said member having an edge and ahelicoidal surface of which said edge is one boundary, said edge beingarranged to lie in and extend lengthwise of the crease between the soleand said free margin, and said helicoidal surface being arranged to bendthe free margin progressively away from the sole in consequence offeeding the shoe in contact with and lengthwise of said edge.

11. A trimming machine comprising a fixed blade and a movable bladehaving angularly related cutting edges in shearing relation, powerdrivenmeans for reciprocating said movable blade across the cutting edge ofsaid fixed blade,

a movable abutment arranged to brace the uncut work in front of saidmovable blade, and means by which said abutment is shifted to and frocrosswise of the path of said movable blade and in synchronism with thereciprocatory movements thereof.

12. A trimming machine comprising a fixed blade and a movable bladehaving angularly related cutting edges in shearing relation, powerdrivenmeans for reciprocating said movable blade across the cutting edge ofsaid fixed blade, the cutting edge of said movable blade being obliquewith respect to its path of reciprocation, a member arranged tooscillate about an axis, a portion 01 said member being arranged toproject in front of said movable blade to brace the uncut work againstthe cutting motion of that blade, and means by which reciprocatorymovements of said movable blade are communicated to said oscillatorymember to move its work-engaging portion to and fro crosswise of thepath of said movable blade.

13. A trimming machine comprising poweroperated cutting means arrangedto sever a free margin of overlasted upper material projecting from thesole of a lasted shoe, and a member arranged to guide untrimmed portionsof said margin to said cutting means, said member having a thin edgearranged to run in the crease formed by the junction of the sole andsaid margin but being formed to clear projections on the face of thesole inside but adjacent to the boundary of the area defined by saidcrease.

CHARLES F. FITZGERALD.

